The present application is related generally to tire tread depth measurement systems, and in particular, to a method for generating a display representative of potential tire wear or tread condition within a region on a tire tread surface, based in-part on measurements of tire tread depth previously acquired from the tread surface within the region.
Motor vehicles, such as passenger cars and trucks, rely upon wheel assemblies consisting of wheel rims with tires mounted thereon to maintain contact with the roadway surfaces over which the vehicle is traveling. It is well known that the condition of the tires of the wheel assemblies of a motor vehicle, and in particular, the condition of the tire tread surfaces, can have a significant impact on the performance of the vehicle as well as be indicative of potential problems with the vehicle. For example, tires with excessive tread wear (or insufficient tread depth) lack the ability to evacuate water from a contact patch region between the tire and roadway when traveling over wet surfaces, leaving the vehicle dangerously susceptible to hydroplaning and a loss of control. Uneven tread wear across the width of a tire's outer tread surface may be indicative of an improper wheel alignment or a broken component in the vehicle suspension system. Improper inflation of a tire can result in the failure of the tire to properly support the vehicle, leading to bulges in the tire sidewall adjacent to the contact patch, and excessive fuel consumption by the vehicle.
A wide variety of automatic or semi-automatic tire tread depth measurement systems are known. These include systems which optically acquire tire tread depth measurement data points along a single scan line or contour of tire tread, as well as systems which acquire tire tread depth measurement data points along multiple adjacent scan lines or contours sufficient to generate a surface map for a region of the tire tread surface. In either case, the acquired tire tread depth measurement data points are representative of the tire tread depth at the observed locations on the tire tread surfaces at the time of the scan.
Tires, however, are not static components of a vehicle, and are continually being worn away during use, reducing the height of various features on the tread surface. For a given measurement of tire tread depth, industry known standard estimates for tread wear rates based on driven mileage can be used to determine or predict a point in time (or number of miles driven) when the tire will require replacement. Conveying this information in a meaningful manner to a vehicle owner can be difficult. Simply providing a vehicle owner with a numerical number representative of an estimated remaining tire tread depth or a “tire replacement due at 15,000 miles” reminder often fails to motivate the vehicle owner to take necessary actions to inspect or replace the tires. Accordingly, a more compelling method for communicating tire tread wear progression to a vehicle owner would be advantageous to encourage regular inspection and proper replacement of worn tires in a timely manner.